Intercepting-valve for air-brakes.



Patented lan. I6, |900.

G. W. BUCKALEW. lNTERGEPTING VALVE FUR AIR BRAKES.

(Application filed Sept. 11, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-$heet l.

leunill I A 7TOHNE YS G. W. BUCKALEW.

INTERGEPTING VALVE FR AIR BRAKES.

(Application filed Sept. 11, 1899.)

No. 64I,576. Patented Jan. I6, 1900.

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. Nrrnn STATES GEORGE W. BUOKALEW, OE MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO JACKSON H. BUCKALEW, OE SAME PLACE.

lNTVERCEPTlNG-VALVE FOR AIR-BRAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,576, dated January'16, 1900,

. Application tiled September 11,1899.` Serial No. 730,160. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W.BUOKALEW, of Memphis, in the county ofShelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Intercepting-Valves for Air'- Brakes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide such an arrangement of valvesand pipes in connection with a system of air-brakes as will enable oneor more engines coupled to the rear end of the tender of the leadingengine or at the rear end of the train as helping-engines,where it canbe connected to the trainpipe, to coperate .with the leading engine atthe head of the train in supplying air from its main reservoir to thetrainpipe, so as to assist in supplying the brakes in long trains.

When my devices are applied, they are so ad# justed on the leadingengine as to be thrownv out of action, so that the leading engine actslin the usual way to apply the brakes for the Whole train by a reductionof pressure in the train-pipe through the engineers valve of the frontengine; but with the rear engine my devices by proper adjustment arebrought into action for automatically supplying to the train-pipe airfrom its main reservoir and still permitting pressure to be reduced inapplying the brakes from the front engine.

My invention consists in thev construction and arrangement of a valve,which I term an intercepting-valve, whereby the above results areaccomplished in a simple and practical way with but slight alteration inthe connections, as will be hereinafter more fully described withreference to the drawings, in

which- Figure lis a view of the devices on the front and rear enginesembodying my improvements and shown in relation to the train-pipeextending throughout the train from engine to engine. Fig. 2 is anenlarged vertical section of the intercepting-valve. Fig. 3 is a sectionof its case, taken at right angles to the plane of the section in Fig.2; and Fig. 4 are details of the' valve proper and its stem.

Referring to Fig. 1, the devices shown on the right represent theleading engine, the one on the left the following engine, and X is thetrainpipe, connected by hose and couplinge throughout the train andwhich in my invention is capable of being put in commu;

gines. As both engines are equipped exactly alike, it will be sufficientto describe one of them. They have the following old features of theWestinghouse system,which are shown in outline only-viz., the mainair-reservoir communicating through pipe r with the engineersbrake-valve, the cock D2, by which the engineers valve is cut off fromthe train-pipe X, and also the engineers equalizing-reser' Voir,connected through pipe e with the engineers brake-valve. The parts whichI have invented and applied to these old devices are shown in shadedlines and consist of an intercepting-valve A and pipes my z. The pipes:connects the train-pipe with one side of valve A. The pipe ,e connectsthe other side of said valve with the engineers brake-valve at a pointabove its cock D2, the pipe z having a shut-off cock C2 interposed inits length. The pipe y establishes communication between the opening .Ion the top of valve A and the engineers equaliZing-reservoir, the pipesy and e having, respectively, cocks A2 and B2 to permit them to bealternately connected and disconnected, as desired.

Before explaining its operation it will ,be necessary to understand theconstruction of the intercepting-valve A, as seen in Figs. 2, 3, and 4C.This valve has a casing A, bored to receive a piston D, which by meansof a shoulder and nut N is connected to a valvestem d, formed with thevalve-head F. This valve-head is cylindrical and plays in acylindrically-bored recess in the case, Which is closed by a screw-plugB. The lower end of the piston-cylinder is closed by a larger screwplugvC.

The valve-head F has a transverse port K3 through it, which is arrangedto be lifted into registration with the two ports I and H, formed in thecasing on opposite sides of the valve and communicating, respectively,with the pipes z and In the side of the casingAthereisabranch port K,which at the upper end communicates with the port H and at its lower endnication with the main reservoir of both en- Y IOO Aro

with the lower end of the piston-cylinder.

In the inner side of the piston-cylinder there is cut a feed-groove M,(see Fig. 3,) which when the piston passes to its upper position allowsair to leak or feed past this piston. The valve-head F is guided trueand prevented from rotating, so as to preserve the alinement of its portK3 with I and II by means of a groove g, Fig. 4, in its side, whichreceives a dowel G, Fig. 3, as the valve rises and falls.

Referring now to Fig. l, the operation of mydevices is as follows: Inthe leading engine, on the right-hand side, cocks A2 and C2 are closedand intercepting-valve A is dead or useless, while cocks B2 and D2 areopen to establish the necessary communication between the engineersvalve, equalizing-reservoir, and train-pipe Vin the usual way, it beingunderstood that the front engine applies and releases the brakes, buthas no use whatever for my valve A and pipes 'y e'. In the other engineat the end of the train these latter parts are brought into requisition;but the engineers brake-valve is not to be operated for applying brakesand must remain at all times in running position. Hence cocks B2 and D2are closed and A2and C2 are opened. Now when the front engine appliesthe brakes by reducing the pressure in the train-pipe in the usual waythe reduction of pressure, acting through pipe reduces' pressure underpiston D (see Fig. 2) and allows the pressure through pipe y, Fig. 3,from the engineers equalizing-reservoir to force down the piston to theposition shown in Fig. 2. This throws port K3 out of regis` tration withports I and I-I and cuts off communication (see Fig. l) between pipe mand X on the one side and pipes .e r and engineers valve on the otherside, so that compressed air from the main reservoir of the rear enginedoes not flow into the train-pipe, and hence the front engine cancontrol the reduction of pressure and the application of brakes. Thenthe brakes are released and the pressure is thrown on the train-pipesagain, this: pressure, acting through pipe fr and on the under side ofpiston D,forces the latter up again, establishing communication betweenpipes :n and .e and putting main reservoir into communication withtrain-pipe X to supply it with air at the rear end of the train. As thepiston rises to the position shown in Fig. 3 the air feeds up throughgroove M past the piston and through pipe" y to the engineersequalizing-reservoir to restore its reduced pressure to normal again.

In practice I prefer to connect pipe y to the engineersequalizing-reservoir; but a separate reservoir might be employed, ifdesired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an air-brake system, the combination with the train. -pipe andengineers brakevalve; of an intercepting-valve placed at a point betweenthe train-pipe and engineers brake-valve and above the cock of thelatter which cuts off the train-pipe therefrom, said intercepting-valvehaving a piston and attached valve-head which latter controls the flowfrom the main reservoir and engineers valve to the train-pipe, and thepiston having its working face exposed to the influence of the varyingpressure in the train-pipe substantially as described.

2. In an air-brake system, the combination with the train-pipe, andengineers brakevalve; of an intercepting-valve placed at a point betweenthe train-pipe and the engineers brake-valve and above the cock of thelatter which cuts off the train-pipe therefrom, said intercepting-valvehaving a piston and attached valve-head, which latter controls the flowfrom the main reservoir and engineers valve to the train-pipe, and whichpiston has its working face exposed to the varying pressure of thetrain-pipe, and an air-reservoir having a pipe leading to the oppositeside of the piston from its working face substantially as and for thepurpose described.

3. In an air-brake system as described, the combination with a pipeleading to the engineers valve and having a stop-cock, a pipe leading tothe engineers brake-valveequalizing reservoir also having a stop-cock,and a pipe leading,r to the main train-pipe; of an in tercepting-valveinterposed between these pipes, said valve comprising a case bored toform cylinders of different diameters at its opposite ends and havingscrew-plugs fitting in the outer ends of said cylinders, a transversepassageway leading through thesmaller of said cylinders, and alongitudinal passageway establishing communication between thistransverse passage-way and the more remote end of the larger cylinder,and having also a longitudinal groove M on the inner face of the largercylinder, and a piston and valve-head connected to the same stem, thepiston being in the larger cylinder, and the valve-head in the smallercylinder and havinga transverse port through it adapted to register withor be cut olf from the said transverse passageway substantially as andfor the purpose described.

4. The intercepting-valve comprising a case bored to form cylinders ofdifferent diameters at its opposite ends, and having screw-plugs fittingin the outer ends of said cylinders, a transverse passage-way leadingthrough the smaller of said cylinders, and a longitudinal passage-wayestablishing communication between the transverse passage-way and themore remote end of the larger cylinder, and having also a longitudinalgroove M on the inner face of the larger cylinder, a piston andvalve-head connected to the same stem, the piston being in the largercylinder, and the valve-head in the smaller one and having a transverseport through it adapted to register IIO with or be cut off from the saidtransverse l to the train-pipe, and the upper part of the passage-Way;said intercepting-vaive being larger cylinder of the intercepting-valvebeplaced in and combined with an air-brake sysing connected to anair-reservoir as described. 1o tem, and having its transversepassage-way l GEORGE W. BUCKALEW.

on one side connected to the en gineers brake- Vitnesses: valve abovethe cock leading to the train- T. P. POSTON, pipe, and on the other sideconnected directly THos. B. CRENSHAW.

